Soft plastic food package



p 1954 L. PETERS som' PLASTIC FOOD PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 24, 1951 h N V EN TOR: w, BY M a'%@ ATTORNEYS.

L. PETERS SOFT PLASTIC FOOD PACKAGE Sept. 7, 1954 Filed April 24, 1951 \llllllllllllllllll I... llllli|| l ATTORNEYS.

lllllll Patented Sept. 7, 1954 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE 3- Claims.

This invention relates to a reverse-suspension protector for soft plastic foods. The invention is also useful for other purposes.

When soft plastic foods such as butter, margarine, ice cream, process cheese, etc., are premolded into shapes having a flat bottom and nonflat sides or top, there is presented a serious problem in maintaining these shapes without disfigurement through the channels of trade. At present, there is no low cost or commerciallyfeasible way of protecting such soft plastic foods in their molded shapes against disfigurement when the package containing the premolded shapes is tipped over, placed on the shelf in upside-down position or is subjected to jolting or pressures in shipping, etc.

An object of the present invention is to provide a suspension protector for soft plastic foods to protect a molded body of such food when the package containing the same is tipped over, subjected to pressure and jolting, and even when subjected to melting temperatures. A still further object is to provide a reverse-suspension protector which enables the package containing the figured or premolded food body to be placed upside down on shelves or in shipping cases without damaging the product while at the same time facilitating the removal of the molded foodbody. A further object is to provide an upright, rigid, hollow tube of any shape for surrounding the food to be protected, which food is premolded, and having attached to the lower edge of the tube and in reverse-suspension a web of material conforming to the general shape of the food to be protected. A further object is to provide in such a structure a flexible web which, when the package is inverted, serves as a sling or flexible support conforming to the general contour of the molded product to protect it against disfigurement. Yet another object is to provide in such a structure a tube which is of the same or greater height than the height of the food to be protected and to which is suspended a cushion-like protector for premolded, figured shapes of soft plastic foods when such foods are turned upside down while in their retail packages. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is shown in illustrative embodiments, by the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a package embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical sectional view; Fig. 3, a perspective. view showing the removal of the protector from the molded food sectional detail view showing the sealing oi the protector to the base.

In the illustration given in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive,

I provide an upright, rigid,,hollow tube H]. The tube rests at its lower end upon a base II. If desired, the tube may enclose the base H. Secured to the lower end of the tube [0 is a reverse-suspension member [2 which is preferably formed of flexible material such as plastic film, parchment paper, etc.

The base I I supports the flat bottom of a molded body 13 of plastic food which may be butter, margarine, ice cream, cheese, gelatin, minced meats, and a great variety of foods adapted to molding. The molded product has non-straight side walls and in the illustration given, the side walls of the food body [3 are inclined upwardly and inwardly. The top of the molded body i3 is also highly figured and non-straight. The top wall dips centrally, forming a recess it.

As shown more clearly in Fig. 4, the suspension web or sling I2- is of a generally rounded shape conforming generally to the contour of the molded product. Because of its flexibility it adapts itself throughout most of its area to the irregular top surface of the product l3 when the same is inverted, thus protecting the contours of the molded body. The adaptability of the web i2 is not only to the irregular contours generally of the food. product, when the same is inverted, but also to any tilting or angular position of the package. For example, if the package should be turned to a position which is not quite fully in reverse to the position shown in Fig. 2-, the suspension web [2 will be tilted laterally to receive the weight of the food-body when the same moves laterally and the remainder of the web automatically conforms to the changed position of the food product.

After the molded product has been placed upon the base I l, and the tube it with the protector l2 placed thereon, the structure may be enclosed in any suitable cover. In the illustration given, a simple plastic wrapper i5 is drawn about the tube ID at the upper and lower side thereof to form the wrapper shown.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, I provide a base IE on which are placed two units 13 of the molded product. About each unit extends a tube I! to which is secured a suspension web IS. The web 18 is preferably secured to the lower portion of the tube 11 and, in the illustration given, is provided with a flange 19 which extends under the lower edge of the tube l1 and may be secured thereto by an adhesive 20. The flange I9 is preferably united to the base [6 by a wax seal 21 or other suitable means, as shown more clearly in Fig. 8. In the event that the product should melt partially or reach a temperature at which it would tend to flow, the sealing of the web IE to the base l6 causes the food to be contained within the package.

Upon the top of the lower tubes H, as shown in Fig. 6, is a second base 22 and on the base 22 rest, also, two units of molded product [3. Tubes I! rest upon the base 22 and enclose the units l3, and suspension webs l8 enclose the food units l3. A carton 23 encloses the four units carried by bases l6 and 22.

The suspension web I8 is characterized by the fact that it also is premolded and preferably premolded to the shape of the food product [3. Thus, when the package is inverted, the suspension web l8 conforms throughout with the contours of the molded product and no matter how severe the jolting, etc., received by the product when the package is in inverted position, the contours of the plastic food are preserved. Further, if temperatures are reached at which the product tends to flow and the shape of the molded product is lost, the package may be inverted and the suspension web l8 now serves as a mold for the product. Upon chilling, the product will be the equivalent of the original molded body placed in the carton.

The suspension web I8 is preferably of a plastic or thermoplastic film such as, for example, chlorinated rubber (Pliofilrn) vinylidene chloride (Saran), the polyamide resins (nylon), vinyl, polyethylene, polyvinyl alcohol, ethylene-glycolterephthalate, etc. Parchment paper, waxed paper, various other types of flexible or supporting webs may be employed.

The tubes may be of any cross-sectional shape being circular or polygonal, and the tube walls may extend in a vertical plane or in inclined planes. The tube may be sufficiently large in diameter to enclose the base or it may rest upon the base. The suspension web may be secured to the lower portion of the tube or to the lower end thereof or to the tube wall at an intermediate point. While I prefer to seal the lower end of the web or tube against the base, the sealing may be omitted when there is little tendency for the product to flow.

Inoperation, the structure shown in Figs. 1 to 4, and the structure shown in Figs. 5 to 8,. are used in substantially the same way. Upon the opening of the cover or carton, the tube ID with the suspension member 12 carried thereby is simply lifted away from the base, leaving the molded product thereon. When part of the food product has been consumed the tube l may be replaced thereon so that the film 12 serves as a cover for the food and the same may be placed back in the refrigerator.

When the molded film shown in Figs. to 8 is employed, the film may be used as a mold, should the product become soft and tend to flow, and upon inverting the package the flowing material will be caused to assume its initial molded condition. Upon chilling, the molded body is substantially the same contour as the original molded body.

The structures l0 and [2 also offer a very convenient and effective means for removing the contoured soft plastic body from the base I l and onto a dish or other receptacle. With the wrapper removed, and with the members In and I2 and the base H enclosing the food product l3, it is only necessary to invert the structure and then remove the base I l. The flexible film [2 to which the molded product slightly clings provides a means for depositing the figured product upon the dish. Should the molded product not peel readily from the film, a slight pressure upon the flexible film against the recessed portion M will bring about the ready removal of the molded product wtihout marring its delicate mold lines.

While in the foregoing specification, I have set forth certain structures in considerable detail for the purpose of illustrating an embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that such details of structure may be modified widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A soft plastic food package, comprising a premolded soft plastic food body having a fiat base and walls tapering upwardly and inwardly therefrom, said walls having a plurality of indented portions and relatively smooth raised portions therebetween, thereby giving the walls of said body a figured appearance, a protector for said food body comprising an upright relatively rigid tube enclosing said food body with the upper portion of said tube spaced from said food body, a flexible film secured to the lower end portion of said tube and providing an upwardly extending cavity receiving said food body and conforming generally to the shape thereof, and a fiat base supporting the base of said food body, said cavity having smooth walls tapering upwardly and inwardly, said smooth walls supportingly contacting and slightly clinging to the raised portions of the walls of said food body along downwardly diverging lines, whereby said film can support said food body without disfigurement when said food body is turned base upward, while at the same time permitting said food body to be discharged at will when said food body is base downward by breaking the slight cling between said food body and said film, thereby causing said food body to slide out of said cavity.

2. A soft plastic food package, comprising a fiat, relatively rigid base member, a premolded soft plastic food body having a flat base resting on said base member and walls tapering upwardly and inwardly therefrom, said walls having a plurality of indented portions spaced apart by relatively smooth raised portions therebetween, said base member projecting outwardly from around the periphery of the base of said food body to provide a narrow annular support, and an upright relatively rigid tube enclosing said food body with the upper portion of said tube spaced from said food body and the lower end thereof resting on the projecting annular portion of said base member, a flexible thermoplastic film secured to the lower end portion of said tube and providing an upwardly extending cavity receiving said food body and conforming generally to the shape thereof, said cavity having smooth walls converging in an upward direction, said walls supportingly contacting and slightly clinging to the raised portions of the Walls of said food body along down- References Cited in the file of this patent wardly diverging lines of contact, said lines of UNITED STATES PATENTS contact extending 1n a generally upward direction along the Walls of said food body, and means Number Name Date for releasably securing said base member to said 5 2,106,425 Grant 1938 tuba 2,283,380 McManus May 19, 1942 3. The soft plastic food package of claim 2 in 2,501,570 Larsen 1950 which said means for securing said base mem- 2551998 Peters 1953 her to said tube comprises a flexible wrapper tightly enclosing said tube and base member. 

1. A SOFT PLASTIC FOOD PACKAGE, COMPRISING A PREMOLDED SOFT PLASTIC FOOD BODY HAVING A FLAT BASE AND WALLS TAPERING UPWARDLY AND INWARDLY THEREFROM, SAID WALLS HAVING A PLURALITY OF INDENTED PORTIONS AND RELATIVELY SMOOTH RAISED PORTIONS THEREBETWEEN, THEREBY GIVING THE WALLS OF SAID BODY A FIGURED APPEARANCE, A PROTECTOR FOR SAID FOOD BODY COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT RELATIVELY RIGID TUBE ENCLOSING SAID FOOD BODY WITH THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID TUBE SPACED FROM SAID FOOD BODY, A FLEXIBLE FILM SECURED TO THE LOWER END PORTION OF SAID TUBE AND PROVIDING AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING CAVITY RECEIVING SAID FOOD BODY AND CONFORMING GENERALLY TO THE SHAPE THEREOF, AND A FLAT BASE SUPPORTING THE BASE OF SAID FOOD BODY, SAID CAVITY HAVING SMOOTH WALLS TAPERING UPWARDLY AND INWARDLY, SAID SMOOTH WALLS SUPPORTINGLY CONTACTING AND SLIGHTLY CLINGING TO THE RAISED PORTIONS OF THE WALLS OF SAID FOOD BODY ALONG DOWNWARDLY DIVERGING LINES, WHEREBY SAID FILM CAN SUPPORT SAID FOOD BODY WITHOUT DISFIGUREMENT WHEN SAID FOOD BODY IS TURNED BASE UPWARD, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PERMITTING SAID FOOD BODY TO BE DISCHARGED AT WILL WHEN SAID FOOD BODY IS BASE DOWNWARD BY BREAKING THE SLIGHT CLING BETWEEN SAID FOOD BODY AND SAID FILM, THEREBY CAUSING SAID FOOD BODY TO SLIDE OUT OF SAID CAVITY. 